SYDNEY: Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah headlined the opening day’s play with a maiden first-class fifty and then chipped in with a couple of wickets in an impressive bowling effort putting India in the driver’s seat against Australia in the pink ball warm-up game on Friday.
With his unbeaten 55 off 57 balls, Bumrah was the top-scorer for the visitors, who folded for a disappointing 194 in 48.3 overs at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Indians however came back strongly with the ball to bundle out Australia for 108 at stumps as 20 wickets fell on a curtailed when almost an hour was lost due to heavy rain.
India’s four-pronged pace attack did well to intimidate Australian youngsters with short-pitched stuff as Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini got three wickets apiece.
On a day when the recognised batsmen struggled to put runs on the board, Bumrah, who came into the game with a Test batting average of 2.9, produced a stellar performance with the willow, smashing the ball six times to the fence and twice over it.
The 27-year-old, known for his wily bowling, reached his half-century in style, hooking a bouncer by all-rounder Will Sutherland for a huge six over the deep square-leg fence.
Bumrah and fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj stitched a valuable 71-run partnership for the 10th wicket before the Indian innings ended with a semblance of respectively.
Pleasant surprised with his batting heroics, Bumrah’s teammates got up, clapped and gave him a guard of honour as he walked into the dressing room. (AGENCIES)
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